Why can't my email recipients open my attachments, and how do I fix it?
When you email an attachment and the person receiving it doesn't have permission to open it, it's usually because Microsoft has turned the file you're sending into a link to something on your OneDrive cloud, and the person who is receiving it doesn't have your permission to access it.
Here's how to change an email attachment from a OneDrive link to a file that anyone can open.
Step 1: Attach your file. If you're in the Outlook desktop app/program, a popup (below) will appear asking how you prefer to attach the file.
Step 2: Choose Attach as copy.
If you are using Outlook through a browser (Firefox, Chrome, Microsoft Edge) or you made a mistake in the previous step:
Look for a cloud icon in the attachment (red arrow) - that's the symbol for OneDrive and its associated links in Microsoft. If the attachment has a cloud icon, you will need to change it to a file before the email can be sent.
- Click on the dropdown arrow beside the attachment.
- On the menu that pops up, choose "Attach as Copy". The icon next to the file should change to a paperclip and you are ready to send your email.
